Search

No-till cropping systems with cover crops can improve soil health, but often rely on glyphosate, which is a contentious herbicide. In this study, we investigated whether a system based on the direct sowing of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in the dead mulch of a roller-crimped hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) could be competitive with a system where glyphosate is also sprayed to terminate the cover crop and to control weeds. We hypothesized that optimum timing of roller-crimping would be key to eliminate glyphosate requirements while maintaining sunflower performance. In a 3-year on-farm experiment, we compared three vetch termination stages (early: pre-flowering; Intermediate: beginning of flowering; late: 70% flowering) and three glyphosate rates (Nil, half and full, i.e. 1440 g of active ingredient per hectare). Vetch biomass increased progressively from early to late termination stages, and ranged between 414 and 658 g m−2. Higher vetch biomass was correlated with lower weed biomass. Treatments had inconsistent effects on weed diversity and composition, largely determined by the interactions between treatments and seasonal (different years) or local factors (different fields). Glyphosate-based treatments seemed to select for aggressive weed species, but no clear species filtering effect based on ecological or functional traits was detected. Shannon H' was positively correlated with sunflower grain yield below a weed dry biomass threshold of 150 g m−2. Crop yield with early termination stage was a failure without glyphosate application. However, crop yield with late vetch termination was acceptable, being at par or 15% higher (mean of first and second years) in no-glyphosate compared with glyphosate-based treatments. Crop gross margins showed the same trend (+33% for no-glyphosate compared with glyphosate-based treatments). This study, for the first time, shows that targeted timing of roller-crimped hairy vetch in no-till sunflower can result in equal agronomic and economic performances as addition of glyphosate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A living mulch is a cover crop grown during the growing season of a main (cash) crop. Living mulches may reduce soil erosion and nitrate leaching more effectively than bare ground or non‐living mulches. Living mulches can also make substantial contributions to non‐chemical or diversified weed management programmes. However, living mulches sometimes fail to suppress weeds, or they succeed at the cost of main crop yield. Seeking to understand these divergent outcomes, we survey the effects of living mulches on weeds in temperate field and vegetable crops. Primary purposes of this review include (a) outlining mechanisms of weed control by living mulches, (b) identifying major sources of variation in weed control outcomes, and (c) highlighting knowledge gaps. The effects of living mulches on weeds are largely (but not exclusively) via competition and typically strongest when living mulch vigour is high at sensitive stages of weed life cycles. Best management practices depend on living mulch, main crop, and weed community characteristics. Living mulches often have different effects on different weed species, which may have far‐reaching consequences for weed diversity and community composition. Future research on long‐term changes to weed communities will clarify how and when living mulches should be adopted to increase agroecosystem biodiversity and promote sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed predation can reduce the abundance and spread of unwanted vegetation in agricultural and other semi‐natural ecosystems. However, knowledge of how variations in seed predation rates affect plant species population dynamics is needed for decision making and knowledge‐based ecosystem management.We developed a stage‐classified stochastic matrix population model for Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. (blackgrass), an annual plant species thriving as a weed in temperate agroecosystems of Western and Northern Europe. The model was parameterised using empirical demographic data from long‐term experiments in Swedish winter wheat fields, including information on post‐dispersal seed losses by vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators.For agroecosystems with highly effective weed control measures (e.g. chemical and mechanical weed control), model simulations showed that seed losses via seed predation need to reach at least 78% at peak seed shedding to suppress population growth of A. myosuroides.The field experiment showed that vertebrates were most important for seed predation in July, at peak seed shedding. In August, after crop harvest, invertebrates were responsible for almost all seed predation. The model indicated that weed seed predation was much more important for weed regulation when it occurred before crop harvest in July. Vertebrates most strongly reduced population growth of A. myosuroides, although both vertebrates and invertebrates were needed to prevent it entirely.Synthesis and applications. We showed that weed seed predation by vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators is key for reducing the population growth of winter annual weeds like A. myosuroides in intensively managed agroecosystems. Therefore, protection of weed seed predators is essential for making management of unwanted vegetation less dependent on chemical and mechanical measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds reduce crop yields and require annual measures of control, although they can provide important ecological benefits. In this work, the efficacy was tested of an ecological fertilizer with herbicidal properties (Bioscrop Herbitec®) which in high concentrations (10-15%) can have a similar effect to a contact herbicide. The composition of the product is 6.0 % of water-soluble potassium oxide, 54.7 % of organic acids and 39.3 % of dispersants and diluents. The product was tested in six field trials during two years, which included two vineyards and two olive orchards and winter and spring vegetation. In each experiment three treatments were imposed, being the product applied at the concentrations of 10% and 15% and a non-treated control. In treated plots, the entire ground surface (rows and inter-rows) was sprayed. The evaluation of the effect of the treatments on vegetation was assessed by the pin point and grid methods which consisted of determining the percentage of damaged and not damaged vegetation and bare soil. The production of dry biomass of weeds was also evaluated as a measure of the persistence of the damage on vegetation. The floristic composition of the stands was also recorded to evaluate the specific susceptibility of the weeds to the different treatments. The results showed that the product severely damaged the vegetation, and the effect persisted for more than a month. The application of the product caused a severe reduction in the aboveground biomass while keeping the soil protected, showing a useful compromise between the reduction in weed competition and the maintenance of ground cover. Some species were severely damaged while others seemed to have benefited in relative terms, suggesting that the effectiveness of the product will be dependent on the weed species present.

A field study was conducted to examine the allelopathic potential of Sonchus oleraceus L. residue against the weeds associated with wheat crop. Residue application was carried out under field conditions in two doses: 150 and 300 g m−2. Weed richness, density and above-ground biomass were assessed at 6 and 12 weeks after application to evaluate the potential effect of S. oleaceus manure on weed control. Some growth criteria and the total yield of the cultivated wheat crop were also measured. The residue-containing quadrates attained lower weed richness, density and biomass. Unlikely, residue application reduced the grain yield of wheat. The available nitrogen and phosphorus were increased in soil at the higher application dose. These results suggest that S. oleraceus could interfere most of winter weeds, but affect productivity of wheat. Weed suppression could be attributed to the allelopathic potential of S. oleraceus residue. These results suggest also that the manure of this weed could be used successfully in the integrated weed management programs to reduce weed infestation in winter crops. However, another crop species may be selected.

Sustainable strategies for managing weeds are critical to meeting agriculture's potential to feed the world's population while conserving the ecosystems and biodiversity on which we depend. The dominant paradigm of weed management in developed countries is currently founded on the two principal tools of herbicides and tillage to remove weeds. However, evidence of negative environmental impacts from both tools is growing, and herbicide resistance is increasingly prevalent. These challenges emerge from a lack of attention to how weeds interact with and are regulated by the agroecosystem as a whole. Novel technological tools proposed for weed control, such as new herbicides, gene editing, and seed destructors, do not address these systemic challenges and thus are unlikely to provide truly sustainable solutions. Combining multiple tools and techniques in an Integrated Weed Management strategy is a step forward, but many integrated strategies still remain overly reliant on too few tools. In contrast, advances in weed ecology are revealing a wealth of options to manage weeds at the agroecosystem level that, rather than aiming to eradicate weeds, act to regulate populations to limit their negative impacts while conserving diversity. Here, we review the current state of knowledge in weed ecology and identify how this can be translated into practical weed management. The major points are the following: (1) the diversity and type of crops, management actions and limiting resources can be manipulated to limit weed competitiveness while promoting weed diversity; (2) in contrast to technological tools, ecological approaches to weed management tend to be synergistic with other agroecosystem functions; and (3) there are many existing practices compatible with this approach that could be integrated into current systems, alongside new options to explore. Overall, this review demonstrates that integrating systems-level ecological thinking into agronomic decision-making offers the best route to achieving sustainable weed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change tends to intensify extreme weather events worldwide, negatively affecting agriculture and threatening global food security. More resilient agroecosystems are required to assure yield stability. In this research, which was carried out in a Mediterranean environment in 2013–2015, the response of organic lettuce to cover crop management and organic fertilisation, in terms of yield, nitrogen status and efficiency, was investigated. A vetch cover crop was introduced before the lettuce and was terminated by the no-till roller crimper strategy (RC), which was compared with incorporation of the vetch into the soil as green manure (GM) and with a no-vetch control (No_V). Two organic fertilisers derived from waste recycling, anaerobic digestate (AD) and municipal solid waste compost (MSW), were compared with a commercial organic fertiliser (ORG) and with a control with no fertiliser (No_F). The RC treatment resulted in high lettuce yields in both years, whereas GM showed intermediate yield values (significant differences in 2014). Crop N status reflected yield, with improved values in RC plots. At harvest, particularly in 2014, the use of vetch and fertilisers increased soil mineral nitrogen concentrations compared with those in No_V and No_F treatments, though the differences were not statistically significant. Lettuce N use efficiency (NUE) had an inverse trend to that of the yield; the lower the yield the higher the NUE. The RC in combination with the use of organic fertilisers assured a satisfactory response to the variability in weather, in terms of both yield stability and preservation of soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of farming organically in the USA are increasingly known; however, organic farmers also encounter considerable risks, especially from weeds. Without herbicides, organic farmers can rely only on crop rotations, mechanical cultivation, manual weeding, beneficial insects and other cultural practices, termed ecological weed management (EWM), to control weeds. Despite promising results and the many ways in which EWM can be employed, it remains poorly adopted by the organic community. Organic farmers resist research and recommendations from University scientists and Extension, instead preferring to rely on local family and friends and their own experience to guide decisions. Here we investigate factors that may lead organic farmers to recognize that they need additional information about EWM and to seek that information out. Using a national survey of organic farmers (n = 554) and a risk-information seeking and processing model, we show that farmers' risk and benefit perceptions, worry, social norms encouraging seeking out information, and farmers' own perceived knowledge gaps, particularly with respect to their most problematic weed, influence information-seeking behavior. Identifying characteristics that may distinguish those organic farmers who need and want additional information, we provide recommendations to Extension and University scientists about how best to communicate, build trust and provide decision support to the organic community with respect to EWM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the effect of agroecological service crops (ASCs), i.e., crops included in the crop rotation for their ecosystem services, terminated with an in-line tillage roller crimper (ILRC) on weed community composition and their functional traits in comparison to a tilled control without ASC. A two-year study was performed in a long-term experiment with vegetables under organic management. Four different cereal crops were introduced as ASCs. Weed abundance and richness and the functional traits were assessed at three different stages, i.e., before and after ASC termination and before harvest of the following crop, melon. All the ASCs showed strong weed suppression, with few differences between the cereals tested. Weed communities with ASCs had later flowering onset and wider flowering span compared to the control, which positively affects weed dispersal and attraction of beneficial insects. However, weed communities with ASCs had higher values for traits related to competition (specific leaf area, seed weight and more perennials). A trade-off between weed suppression and selection of more competitive weed communities by the introduction of ASCs managed with the ILRC should be evaluated in the long-run. The use of the ILRC alternating with other soil management practices seems the more effective strategy to benefit from the minimal soil tillage while avoiding the selection of disservice-related traits in the weed community.

Summary: Balancing trade‐offs in conservation agriculture between the conflicting impacts of soil disturbance on crop yield and soil quality is complicated by the need for adequate weed management, especially in production systems with low, or no, reliance upon herbicides. Production of soyabeans no‐till planted into a rolled‐crimped cereal rye cover crop is attracting increasing farmer interest. Experimental work on this approach to date has provided inferences at the field scale and above, helping to identify broad recommendation domains for best management practices. For individual growers, however, fine‐scale information may also be helpful for making in‐field adjustments to refine the system. In a three‐year field study in Illinois, USA, we quantified key associations among no‐till soyabean performance in a rolled rye system and decametre‐scale variation in soil characteristics, cover crop performance and weed growth. Subfield variation in soil properties had both direct and indirect effects on soyabean yield. Local soil potassium limitation was linked to reduced rye height, which in turn indirectly reduced soyabean yields through decreased weed suppression by the cover crop. Slow‐draining field areas that were still moist at the time of cover crop termination were associated with lower soyabean stands, directly reducing yields. Although the subfield characteristics influencing soyabean and cover crop performance may vary from farm to farm, this study highlights potential gains to be realised in this production system from a better understanding of how such properties covary at fine spatial scales and taking steps to create an environment conducive to maximising cover crop establishment and growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds can cooperate with the agroecosystem’s functioning by providing ecosystem services. Effective weed management should mitigate negative weed−crop interference, while maintaining a functional and balanced weed community. In a two-year trial, the in-line/roller crimper (RC) was used to terminate an agroecological service crop (ASC; here barley, Hordeum vulgare L.) before organic zucchini (Cucurbita pepo, L.) and compared with green manure (GM) ASC and tilled no-ASC with Mater-Bi mulch on the rows (No_ASC). Zucchini yield, soil N availability, weed density/cover, biomass, and community composition were assessed. Analysis of variance, exploratory statistical analysis, and non-parametric inferential approaches were run, respectively, on agronomic data, species-specific weed frequencies, and Shannon diversity. Zucchini yield was the highest in No_ASC, due to soil N immobilization under high C:N barley residues in GM and RC. Multivariate analysis discriminated RC from tilled systems, outlining a specific ensemble of weed species correlated to Shannon diversity. From zucchini fruit set, RC selectively favored Polygonum aviculare L. and Helminthotheca echioides (L.), reasonably because of their oligotrophy and creeping habit. Their dominance finally caused low RC weed control. Results highlight strong weed selective pressure by the mulch-based no-tillage. Understanding the mechanisms underpinning the impact of soil management practices on weed community can drive towards a tailor-made and more effective weed management.

Selection of highly competitive cultivars (Cvs) of sunflower might limit weed growth. However, competitive ability alone may not be sufficient in suppressing weeds in sunflower. Competitive cultivars may have to be combined with other complementary management strategies such as selection of appropriate living mulch species. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the combined effects of crop cultivar and living mulch on weed growth and sunflower yield. Three sunflower cultivars (Allstar, Azargol, and Farokh) and three living mulch treatments (intercropping of buckwheat, snail medic, and hairy vetch as living mulch) were evaluated in a factorial design. For each cultivar, a plot without living mulch (sole sunflower) was considered as weedy check. The sunflower cultivars significantly differed in their competitive ability against weeds. The Cv. Azargol has a superior competitive ability than Allstar and Farokh, on the basis of its impact on crop grain yield and weed infestation level. The highest grain yield (7126 kg ha) was obtained in Cv. Azargol. All living mulch species also reduced weed biomass and density compared to weedy check. This research revealed that use of buckwheat as living mulch caused the most inhibition effect on weed biomass and density. Overall, selection of Azargol as a competitive cultivar and buckwheat as living mulch which provided 96 % control was the best combination method for broadleaf weed control, while Farokh-buckwheat, which provided 77 % weed suppression was more effective combination for grass weeds. Our findings suggest that combining highly competitive sunflower cultivars with proper living mulch species is a feasible weed management strategy; however, selection of both crop cultivar and living mulch species should be adapted based on dominant weed spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used the mental models research method to generate a conceptual map of how Midwest farmers use knowledge, experience, and individual perceptions of weed-related risk to make weed management decisions. We discovered that Midwest farmer knowledge of ecological weed management practices is robust, and that the difficult tradeoffs farmers make regarding cultivation, cover crops, and soil health determine what weed management practices they use. Midwest farmers balance the risks of cultivation and implementation of cover crops with their valuable benefits to soil health and weed suppression. Developing a decision support tool that provides a baseline of scientific evidence and that offers flexibility based on farmers’ experiences and values will clarify these tradeoffs and guide effective decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Weeds cause an estimated crop yield loss of about 43% world-wide. The heavy use of herbicides in weed management has several environmental and health risks. Therefore, systems-oriented approaches to weed management that make better use of alternative weed management tactics need to be developed. One of these approaches is the use of plants with strong weed-suppressing abilities as a component of integrated crop management. Cover crops are well-suited in such a holistic approach as they provide many other agroecosystem services besides suppressing weeds. However, compared to the use of herbicides, the use of cover crops as a weed management tool needs careful follow-up throughout the intended period to maximize the agroecosystem services they provide, minimize the disservices they exert, and optimize their selectivity between weed and crop suppression. Although there are many review papers that address the contribution of cover crops for managing weed problems in agroecosystems, few systematically address the difficulties that are encountered in fitting in the cover crops in the different cropping systems and the methods how to overcome these difficulties. Therefore, this paper is to examine how to maximize weed suppressive effects of cover crops and minimize the negative side effects of introducing cover crops into annual and perennial cropping systems and how to optimize selectivity between weeds and crops. We suggest further research regarding the selection of cover crops that are compatible with annual and perennial cropping systems under different climatic conditions and identify the traits responsible for adaptation in various cropping systems and environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological weed management (EWM) is a scientifically established management approach that uses ecological patterns to reduce weed seedbanks. Such an approach can save organic farmers time and labor costs and reduce the need for repeated cultivation practices that may pose risks to soil and water quality. However, adoption of effective EWM in the organic farm community is perceived to be poor. In addition, communication and collaboration between the scientific community, extension services, and the organic farming community in the US is historically weak. In order to uncover the most persistent obstacles to promoting effective weed management in organic agroecosystems, we use the mental models approach to generate an expert model based on interviews with experts (e.g., weed scientists, weed ecologists, and extension personnel) and theories from the behavioral sciences. The expert model provides two main insights: (1) EWM is a complex strategy that may cause farmers to use heuristics in management decisions and (2) the long-term benefits of EWM, rather than the risks, need to be emphasized in communication with and outreach to organic farmers. The basis for new research topics and outreach material that incorporates these insights from the expert model are discussed. We briefly explain how the expert model is an incomplete picture of on-farm practices, but provides the basis for the second step of our mental models research, the farmer interviews and farmer decision model development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Davis AS & Raghu S (2010). Weighing abiotic and biotic influences on weed seed predation. Weed Research 50,402–412. Weed seed predation is an important ecosystem service supporting weed management in low-external-input agroecosystems. Current knowledge of weed seed predation focuses on biotic mechanisms, with less undersatanding of the relative impact of abiotic variables. In order to quantify relative contributions of abiotic and biotic variables to weed seed predation rates, a field study was made within a maize crop in central Illinois, USA, in 2005 and 2006. From late July through to mid-October, weekly measurements of Abutilon theophrasti, Ambrosia trifida and Setaria faberi seed removal rates by invertebrate and vertebrate granivores, and seed losses because of abiotic processes were recorded. Weed seed rain was measured concurrently in contiguous plots, as were air temperature, precipitation, wind speed, thermal units and invertebrate activity-density. Statistical models supported the possibility that higher-level trophic interactions were contributing to variation in seed predation rates. Approaching granivory in agroecosystems as a food web may help future attempts to regulate this ecosystem service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground beetles are well known as beneficial organisms in agroecosystems, contributing to the predation of a wide range of animal pests and weed seeds. Tillage has generally been shown to have a negative effect on ground beetles, but it is not known whether this is because of direct mortality or the result of indirect losses resulting from dispersal caused by habitat deterioration. In 2005, field experiments measured direct, tillage-induced mortality, of four carabid weed seed predators, Harpalus vufipes DeGeer, Agonum muelleri Herbst, Anisodactylus merula Germar, and Amara cupreolata Putzeys, and one arthropod predator, Pterostichus melanarius Illiger, common to agroecosystems in the northeastern United States. Three tillage treatments (moldboard plow, chisel plow, and rotary tillage) were compared with undisturbed controls at two sites (Stillwater and Presque Isle) and at two dates (July and August) in Maine. Carabid activity density after disturbance was measured using fenced pitfall traps installed immediately after tillage to remove any effects of dispersal. Rotary tillage and moldboard plowing reduced weed seed predator activity density 52 and 54%, respectively. Carabid activity density after chisel plowing was similar to the undisturbed control. This trend was true for each of the weed seed predator species studied. However, activity density of the arthropod predator P. melanarius was reduced by all tillage types, indicating a greater sensitivity to tillage than the four weed seed predator species. These results confirm the need to consider both direct and indirect effects of management in studies of invertebrate seed predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Post-dispersal seed predation is an important source of mortality for arable weed populations that can potentially contribute to ecologically based management strategies. The extent to which cropping practices influence rates of seed predation is not well established. 2. Removal of Abutilon theophrasti and Setaria faberi seeds by predators was measured in 2-year (maize/soyabean), 3-year (maize/soyabean/triticale + red clover) and 4-year (maize/soyabean/triticale + lucerne/lucerne) crop rotations in Iowa, USA, during 27 48-h sampling periods conducted during the 2003 and 2004 cropping seasons. 3. Predation of S. faberi seeds was equal (eight sampling periods) or greater (19 sampling periods) than predation of A. theophrasti seeds, but the influence of crops on seasonal predation patterns was generally similar for the two weeds. 4. Seasonal patterns in seed predation were crop-specific and complementary. In maize and soyabean, seed predation was low in spring, high in summer and low in autumn. In triticale–legume intercrops, seed predation was high in spring, low in summer and moderate in autumn. In lucerne, seed predation fluctuated from high to low, matching the periodic harvest and regrowth cycle of the crop. 5. Measurements of crop canopy light interception taken in 2004 were positively correlated with rates of seed removal for both A. theophrasti ( r = 0·54, P < 0·001) and S. faberi ( r = 0·25, P < 0·001), suggesting that vegetative cover promotes weed seed predation. 6. Synthesis and applications. The results indicate that crop vegetation can be managed to promote weed seed predation. Diversified farming systems that include a range of phenologically dissimilar crop species are likely to provide the greatest opportunities for weed seed destruction by predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the use of periodic matrix population model to determine the effects of legume green manure and tillage timing on the demography of giant foxtail (Setaria faberi). Prospective and retrospective perturbation analysis were employed in the study. It was observed that stochastic population growth rate depended upon an interaction between legume green manure and tillage-timing effects.

This paper explores the effect of agroecological service crops (ASCs), i.e., crops included in the crop rotation for their ecosystem services, terminated with an in-line tillage roller crimper (ILRC) on weed community composition and their functional traits in comparison to a tilled control without ASC. A two-year study was performed in a long-term experiment with vegetables under organic management. Four different cereal crops were introduced as ASCs. Weed abundance and richness and the functional traits were assessed at three different stages, i.e., before and after ASC termination and before harvest of the following crop, melon. All the ASCs showed strong weed suppression, with few differences between the cereals tested. Weed communities with ASCs had later flowering onset and wider flowering span compared to the control, which positively affects weed dispersal and attraction of beneficial insects. However, weed communities with ASCs had higher values for traits related to competition (specific leaf area, seed weight and more perennials). A trade-off between weed suppression and selection of more competitive weed communities by the introduction of ASCs managed with the ILRC should be evaluated in the long-run. The use of the ILRC alternating with other soil management practices seems the more effective strategy to benefit from the minimal soil tillage while avoiding the selection of disservice-related traits in the weed community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds can cooperate with the agroecosystem's functioning by providing ecosystem services. Effective weed management should mitigate negative weed–crop interference, while maintaining a functional and balanced weed community. In a two-year trial, the in-line/roller crimper (RC) was used to terminate an agroecological service crop (ASC; here barley, Hordeum vulgare L.) before organic zucchini (Cucurbita pepo, L.) and compared with green manure (GM) ASC and tilled no-ASC with Mater-Bi mulch on the rows (No_ASC). Zucchini yield, soil N availability, weed density/cover, biomass, and community composition were assessed. Analysis of variance, exploratory statistical analysis, and non-parametric inferential approaches were run, respectively, on agronomic data, species-specific weed frequencies, and Shannon diversity. Zucchini yield was the highest in No_ASC, due to soil N immobilization under high C:N barley residues in GM and RC. Multivariate analysis discriminated RC from tilled systems, outlining a specific ensemble of weed species correlated to Shannon diversity. From zucchini fruit set, RC selectively favored Polygonum aviculare L. and Helminthotheca echioides (L.), reasonably because of their oligotrophy and creeping habit. Their dominance finally caused low RC weed control. Results highlight strong weed selective pressure by the mulch-based no-tillage. Understanding the mechanisms underpinning the impact of soil management practices on weed community can drive towards a tailor-made and more effective weed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]